Ericsson will also continue to provide media management services for UKTV's on-demand services including UKTV Play, as well as the delivery of VOD content to other TV platforms and VOD aggregation services such as Sky, Virgin Media, BT and TalkTalk.

As part of the new multi-year contract, Ericsson will migrate UKTV's VOD preparation services to Ericsson's end-to-end Package and Deliver managed service, which is powered by Ericsson's cloud media processing service platform. Designed as a smart resource engine, the service platform utilizes cloud-based tools to deliver highly resilient, secure and flexible non-linear contribution, archiving and media processing. These services can deliver unparalleled scalability, flexibility and elasticity to broadcasters, TV platforms and content owners, while minimizing the upfront costs often associated with traditional on-premise hardware infrastructure.

Ericsson has also extended its access services contract with UKTV, which includes the provision of subtitling and audio description services across UKTV's portfolio of content.

Sinead Greenaway, Director of Technology and Operations, UKTV, says,

We are delighted to be continuing our long-standing relationship with Ericsson and look forward to working closely with them as we develop new services to harness opportunities offered through IP and cloud-based service provision. The imminent migration to Package and Deliver VOD services is testament to our successful partnership with Ericsson and our shared commitment to innovation.

Thorsten Sauer, Head of Broadcast and Media Services, Ericsson, says,

We are proud that UKTV has chosen to continue working with Ericsson on these critical broadcast services. This is an important contract for Ericsson and underlines our ability to provide world-class broadcast and media services, as well as the quality and expertise of our talented team. We look forward to strengthening our relationship further and helping UKTV to provide their audiences with the very best TV experience anytime, anywhere for years to come.

Ericsson is one of the leading global providers of broadcast and media services, and has worked with some of the world's most well-known broadcasters, platforms and content producers, including BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, BT Sport, ITV, FOX, DreamWorks, Liberty Global, NPO, Canal+, NOS, Bonnier Group, Sky, HBO, TV5 Monde and France 24.

Every year, Ericsson Broadcast and Media Services distributes more than 2.7 million hours of programming in more than 90 languages for more than 500 TV channels worldwide. Ericsson's global content discovery portfolio spans more than 10 million movies and program titles covering over 35 languages. Globally more than 200 million people interact with Ericsson's rich metadata each week. In addition, Ericsson provides over 230,000 hours of subtitling each year - more than 100,000 hours of which is live.

NOTES TO EDITORS

About UKTV

UKTV is the biggest multichannel broadcaster in the UK.

The award-winning independent has eleven imaginative brands - UKTV Play, Dave, W, Gold, Alibi, Yesterday, Drama, Really, Home, Eden and Good Food. These include the two most popular non-PSB channels in the UK and account for 9.31% of the British commercial TV market. The company's most recent financial results showed record-breaking year-end revenue of £319m and EBITDA of £82m. It invested £148m in programming and related launches last year, and is becoming an increasingly significant investor in UK creativity.

UKTV has a truly innovative model, curating brand-defining commissions, high-profile acquisitions and the very best of BBC, alongside programmes originally shown on ITV and Channel 4. The network embraces technology to deliver inspired channels to audiences through Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView, Freesat, Amazon Fire and UKTV Play, and distributes its highly valued original programmes to 200 territories.

Now celebrating its 23rd year at the forefront of digital television, UKTV - an independent commercial joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. (SNI) - is proud to be the only British television broadcaster in The Sunday Times top 100 companies list.

Broadcast and Media Services press backgrounder

Ericsson is the driving force behind the Networked Society - a world leader in communications technology and services. Our long-term relationships with every major telecom operator in the world allow people, business and society to fulfill their potential and create a more sustainable future.

Our services, software and infrastructure - especially in mobility, broadband and the cloud - are enabling the telecom industry and other sectors to do better business, increase efficiency, improve the user experience and capture new opportunities.

With approximately 115,000 professionals and customers in 180 countries, we combine global scale with technology and services leadership. We support networks that connect more than 2.5 billion subscribers. Forty percent of the world's mobile traffic is carried over Ericsson networks. And our investments in research and development ensure that our solutions - and our customers - stay in front.

Founded in 1876, Ericsson has its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. Net sales in 2015 were SEK 246.9 billion (USD 29.4 billion). Ericsson is listed on NASDAQ OMX stock exchange in Stockholm and the NASDAQ in New York.